Deeply rooted systemic problems in the El Paso Independent School District administration may have come to their most visible point with the indictment, arrest and recent resignation of the now-former superintendent, Lorenzo García.

While the superintendent is gone, the problems that led to fraud charges against García remain largely unresolved.

That is an unacceptable disservice to EPISD teachers and staff, parents, taxpayers -- but most of all, the students.

We call for the EPISD to appoint an oversight committee composed of parents, employees and citizens to delve into the district's problems, pinpoint trouble areas and then make recommendations on how to fix them.

We're not confident that the district administration and the board of trustees, as currently constituted, can or will address and fix the shortcomings.

They are too entrenched in past habits and practices.

An independent body would have a better chance of cutting through the administrative fog and clear the air.

One overarching goal for the district should be transparency, something that's been sorely lacking in past years.

One prime example occurred in 2009 when administrators failed to provide information requested by the El Paso Times in a public information request. The information, concerning contracts and invoices involving Infinity Resources ... & Associates, led to García's indictment.

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The district may have violated state law by refusing to give the information. Soon after García's indictment, the Times again requested the information and it was provided by the district.

An oversight committee could help ensure that the school board becomes more engaged in keeping track of what the administration is doing.

The board has but one employee, the superintendent, and the board should know what he or she is doing.

That hasn't been happening.

That said, the board must not go overboard in the other direction and become micro-managers, seven mini-superintendents.

An oversight committee could help keep them on the straight and narrow.

The administration also must stop treating what's been happening as some kind of public-relations gaffe that can be "managed."

Being forthcoming with information and not trying to cover up problems or gloss over them is all part of being transparent.

The district has taken some tentative steps in the right direction.

It has asked the Texas Association of School Boards to do an employee survey that, it is hoped, will give the district some ideas for moving forward.

Again, an oversight committee could aid in this endeavor.

Immediate action is imperative, because the district is in really bad shape administratively.

The administration is crippled, dealing with the fallout from the indictment and the school board is ineffective.

Most of the current administrators had ties to the García administration, and most school-board members were there during García's tenure.

Expecting effective leadership from either group is unrealistic.

There's not the luxury of time available to fix the problems, because the education of our young people is at stake.

That should be and must be the unwavering focus of both the school board and the school-district administration.

Terri Jordan should remain as interim superintendent, an independent oversight committee should be appointed, and a review -- with recommended fixes -- should be done as expeditiously as possible.